In the Name of Darkness
by Jyira Keller
Summary: A tale of love, hatred, dispair and murder set in the Night World.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Night World characters and ideas belong to LJS. Everything unrecognised is mine.   
  
Summary: A tale of love, dispair, betrayal and murder set in the Night World.   
  
Part 1  
  
The fire crackled all around. Gabrielle looked around desperately for a window to get out. The whole assignment had gone completely to hell.   
  
She ran out the door, ignoring the flames on either side, her only thought was to get out into the cool night air. The hell with it. She didn't care anymore.   
  
How come lately, everything seemed to be going wrong? But being trapped in a burning building at the moment was the least of Gabriella's worries.   
  
She shrieked with competent outrage when she felt strong arms grab her and throw her. She sailed through the air, landing painfully. She dragged herself to her felt, a shattering pain in her ankle.   
  
"Here, I've got you," a soft male voice said. The same strong arms that had thrown her helped her up.   
  
She glared at Tate Redfern furiously. He just looked back at her, sandy hair falling over one eye. Why did he have to be so annoyingly gorgeous. "This is all your fault, you know," she snapped at him.   
  
Tate just grinned and shrugged. "What can I say? A little spark of adventure every now and again can't hurt."  
  
Gabrielle rolled her eyes. Typical Daybreaker. This was so unfair. There was a real cosmic injustice in this whole damn soulmate thing.   
  
Tate just held out a hand to her. Gabrielle stared at it for several minutes. She glanced back at the house they had just escaped from. The fire lit up the night like a solar flare. He'd saved her from that.   
  
With a heavy sigh, she reached out and took the hand he offered.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening to me," she muttered.  
  
* * *  
  
It should have been a good thing, but at the time the sudden changing in her life was completely overwhelming. It had all collapsed, her dreams of ruling in darkness.  
  
The soulmate connection had shattered everything for Gabrielle. Most people she'd met at Circle Daybreak who had soulmates raved on constantly about how wonderful the soulmate thing was. How there was room to grow and develop in Daybreak, and such.  
  
After a while Gabrielle just tuned them out. She had heard the whispers about her. Could she really be trusted? Was she going to be of any use to them?  
  
Was this all some sort of elaborate plan and she was a spy for Dante Bloodthorn, a new and upcoming head of a vampire family starting to drown out the Redferns.  
  
(After the death of Hunter and Maya the Redferns were starting to lose their credit with the Council. New families were raising their heads trying to get a look in)  
  
But none of that was really interesting to Gabrielle anymore. Her mind kept replaying the whole scene over and over. She was supposed to kill Tate Redfern, only to discover a soulmate connection with him.  
  
Her eyes rolled. Typically cliché of the Night World at the moment. No one seemed to be able to kill the targets they were hired to get. The Council must be having a field day.  
  
"Gabby?"  
  
Gabrielle bit her lip. She hated the stupid childish nickname, but she knew Tate would just continue to call her it cause it annoyed her. "What?" she asked.  
  
He sat on the window seat beside her, wrapping his arms around her. "You okay? You're kind of moody."  
  
Gabrielle just shrugged. What was she supposed to say? "It's just all...a little overwhelming."  
  
Tate kissed her softly. Gabrielle almost forgave him as the white light of their soulmate connection sparked. "Lighten up, you'll get used to it. I just came up to tell you dinner's ready." He left her alone.  
  
Gabrielle sighed, turning back to the night. She wasn't sure about living in the Daybreak mansion. But it was better than staying at home where she knew people would be hunting her now she had changed sighed.   
  
She left the window seat and went out onto the balcony, gazing up at the dark sky. She had always thought that the Night would be her one true home.   
  
Was it? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.  
  
* * *  
  
Dante Bloodthorn was not a happy vampire. He stormed around his mansion, smashing and ripping anything he could get his hands on. He just couldn't believe it.  
  
Gabrielle! Gabrielle! His Queen of the Night! Dark star! His perfect twisted thorn of darkness! Gone! Gone! Stolen away by those stupid fucking Daybreakers.  
  
He sighed, collapsing in his chair. It was just so unfair. Totally unfair. He sighed and lit a cigar, taking a long drag. He sighed, pushing his black hair out his eyes red eyes. He could feel a smile curving his lips.  
  
Gabrielle wasn't going to be gone for long.   
  
He had a plan.  
  
* * *  
  
Part 2  
  
It was a set up Thierry was getting rather bored of, groups of Night Worlders getting together and deliberately breaking all the laws, causing as much trouble as they possibly could...  
  
With the Council in disarray they thought they had a better chance at getting away with it. They seemed to have forgotten that Circle Daybreak was still fully operational.   
  
He was getting tired of sending his agents into the groups to infiltrate them and stop the group. Normally discovering a soulmate connection with whomever they were supposed to kill...  
  
Something about all these former dark lords - or ladies - suddenly converting when this happened seemed to him to be a little suspicious.   
  
But no one else seemed to notice it. Maybe they were all planning a revolution from within. It sounded pretty far-fetched, even to him.   
  
But then again, in his life time, he'd seen a lot, so maybe it wasn't all that surprising that they would be planning something no good. Well, he'd dwell on that later.   
  
He had the same old problem to deal with right now. At least it took their mind of the upcoming millennium deal, which was also starting to drag. Another thing he wanted over and done with.   
  
He *needed* that last Wild Power. But that was a different matter, and this matter had nothing to do with Wild Powers. (He wondered if everyone was as tired of the subject. Why couldn't the Night World come up with more original ideas to brake the rules?)  
  
The meeting was supposed to start in a few minutes. With a heavy sigh he headed into the meeting room. At once the groups of people shut up and sat down in a disciplined and orderly manner. No messing around.   
  
The boss was here with a new assignment. ~Why can't I retire?~ he thought moodily. Sometimes he wanted to give up with the whole thing, take Hannah away and spend the rest of his life with her without worrying about battles and renegades, and all the other monotonous stuff he had to bother about on a daily basis.  
  
But that wasn't who he was. This was his life. What he had chosen to run, so he might as well make the most of it.   
  
"As most of you might have heard" ~or are probably pig-sick of hearing of~ he thought "There's a new group of renegade Night People, the sooner we stop them, the less chaos they cause. I need some volunteers."  
  
There were soft mutterings amongst the group, but hardly anyone was raising a hand.   
  
"Do we know who's in charge of this group?" Rashel asked.  
  
Thierry frowned. He wasn't exactly sure of that one. But rumours had come to him telling him it was someone from one of those new families trying to overtake the Redferns. "I believe it's something to do with the Bloodthorn clan," he answered. He knew if it *were* the Redferns Rashel would have been one of the first to volunteer. A hand near the back of the room was going up. "I'll go."  
  
The voice was laced with cold hatred.   
  
Thierry frowned, trying to see the figure. "Identify yourself, back there."  
  
The young woman who stood up was tall, with a mane of curly black hair cascading around her. Her creamy-pale skin was smooth and flawless. Her blue eyes were hard, cold and glittering like chips of ice. She was fairly muscular for a girl, without being *too* muscly. "Gabrielle Darkstorm."  
  
From what he knew Gabrielle was fairly new to the whole Daybreak scene, one of these Night World operations to kill the good guys gone wrong with a soulmate connection to another of their agents. "Why do you want to go?" He wasn't sure yet if this girl would be trusted.   
  
The girl scowled. "Let's just say I have a score to settle with a few Bloodthorns."   
  
He exchanged glances with Hannah, who clearly didn't look comfortable about sending Gabrielle on the task. "Don't you think you might be..." Hannah searched for words. "Rushing in too soon?"  
  
Gabrielle was looking at her, her eyes narrowed. "You think I can't do it?"  
  
Hannah looked embarrassed. She obviously *didn't* think Gabrielle could do the assignment. "Well, it's just that sources have told us the leader of this clan is Dante Bloodthorn, and didn't you have something going with him?"  
  
"What if this is a trap?" the guy sitting next to Gabrielle protested. Gabrielle's newly-found soulmate Tate Redfern.   
Gabrielle's eyes rolled. "I don't care if it is or not. I'm *going*, and I'll kill him." She looked at Thierry.   
  
Thierry sighed heavily a second time. "All right."  
  
When the meeting broke up Hannah followed him into his office. "Are you *sure* that's a good idea? Sending her right away?"  
  
"I'm not sending her alone," he answered. He understood what Hannah was thinking, as he was thinking exactly the same thing himself. "I'm sending two others with her." He smiled a little. "She doesn't know that, of course."  
  
"Do you trust her?" Hannah asked, meeting his eyes.  
  
Thierry didn't know. He couldn't answer her because he didn't know the answer himself.   
  
* * *  



	2. Part 2

Part 3  
  
Dante smiled at the woman who stood in his private office, her features highlighted by the ruddy glow of the firelight, framing her stark black and white beauty with hints of red.  
  
Tacy Keaton was the second most beautiful woman he had ever seen, second to Gabrielle. Both mistresses of darkness, but Tacy seemed more...feminine.   
  
She stood there, eyeing him suspiciously. "You want something," she said bluntly. Her voice was light, somewhat musical, but with a hidden chill factor.   
  
"What makes you think I want something?" Dante asked with a stunning smile of his own. He lounged back in the comfy leather office chair.   
  
Tacy's eyes rolled. "Don't be coy, Dante," she snorted. She took a seat on the silky red couch, her dark hair spilling over the back. "Tell me what you want, so's I can go and do it."  
  
Dante chuckled. "How kind of you."  
  
Tacy smiled, her full red lips curving. "Well, you're paying me for one thing."  
  
Dante let the remark go. She was one of his favourite agents. She'd do the job he asked her to without much question - for the right payment, as she said.   
  
He shrugged, and told her what was required of her. He remained relaxed, watching her carefully. Tacy was eyeing him as if he were nuts.   
  
"You can't be serious," she said, full of contempt.   
  
Dante frowned. "Deadly. If you won't do it, I'll get someone else who will."  
  
Tacy remained silent for several minutes. Dante really didn't want to bother with getting someone else. Tacy was the best person for the job.   
Tacy sighed, and stood up. "All right, all right, I'll do it." She stood up and turned to go.  
  
In a movement faster than she could blink Dante was on his feet and beside her, a painfully tight grip on her arm. Tacy looked at him, her face blank, but even he could see the alarm sparking in her eyes.   
  
"Don't fail me on this Tacy," he said into her ear. His own voice was as soft as snowflakes falling, but he knew she could sense the malice underneath. "It would upset me greatly, and you don't want to see me upset."  
  
He let her go. Tacy shuddered and left the office. Dante sat back in his chair, turning to stare out the dark window. The assignment was simple enough.  
  
So Tacy shouldn't have any problems. So...  
  
* * *  



	3. Part 3

Part 4  
  
Maybe when Tate first heard the scream he should have not listened. He should have glanced over his shoulder curiously and passed by, without giving it a second thought. The way post people reacted when screams sounded.   
  
But of course, being born and raised a Daybreaker, it was almost part of his genetic makeup to respond to people in trouble, and play Mr. Hero.   
  
And tonight should be no exception. Tate turned back the way he'd gone, pausing, listening. The night was dark and silent, the stars glittered eerily in the black sky. No wind stirred the dry branches on the tress lining the street.   
  
The scream came again, shattering the peaceful night, full of terror and fear. "Help!"  
  
The sound was coming from a near by alleyway. Tate's ever-changing Redfern eyes rolled with disgust. Why did the bad guys always think a dark alley was the best place for their attacks?  
  
Why couldn't they come up with something more original? Shaking his head he pulled his stake out the sleeve of his leather jacket. Blending in with the darkness he slipped closer.   
  
The girl was pressed back against the wall, her pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight, rainbows reflecting off her raven hair.   
  
"Hey," he called to the vamp, "didn't you ever learn not to play with your food?"  
  
The vampire looked at him, unimpressed. "Oh joy, the Knight in Shining armour."  
  
Tate's eyes rolled a second time. Vampires really needed to learn new witty lines as well. How many times had he heard *that* one? With a sigh he lunged forward. The surprised vamp moved back, away from his victim.  
  
Exactly what Tate had expected. He jammed his stake into the outraged vamp's heart. The vamp swore at him savagely, and the light died out of his eyes.   
  
Within seconds he was nothing more than a bag of leathery old bones on the dirty, trash filled floor. Tate snorted. Other people he knew might have spat on the body, but with the girl present, he could hardly do that, could he?  
  
The girl was looking at him with wide blue eyes. "Is he dead now?" he asked nervously.   
  
Tate looked at her. Something about her...this girl was a vampire as well. Obviously not an evil one. "Yeah, he is."  
  
The girl smiled a little, red lips full and ripe. Something about her reminded him of Gabrielle. She slipped an arm through his and sighed dreamily. "My hero."  
  
Tate managed a weak smile. This was turning into a soap opera scene. "Want me to take you home?"  
  
The girl shook her head frantically. "No. Don't want to go home. They hurt me." She looked at him with those wonderful blue eyes of hers.   
  
Tate frowned. Maybe he could take her to the safe house he and Gabrielle had a room in. He didn't want to take her back to the Daybreak mansion. He wasn't entirely sure if he could trust her yet. "I'm Tate, what's your name."  
  
"Tacy," she answered, smiling. "My family are typically old fashioned Night Worlders." She made a face. "They don't like the fact I don't agree with them."  
  
Tate sympathised. "Well, I'll take you back to one of our safe houses for now. Nobody'll hurt you there."  
  
Tacy looked at him with admiration and longing. Tate tried to remind himself as he led her back to his car that he had found his soulmate. He already had Gabrielle. True, he wasn't exactly sure if she really loved him yet, but she was the one person perfect for him.  
  
Tacy was sweet, but kind of wimpy. She still clung to him as if there would be no tomorrow. When he got her to the safe house he went to call Thierry.  
  
"She can stay for the time being while we check her out," Thierry told him. "But if she seems the slightest bit suspicious, or appears to be trouble, kill her."  
  
Tate was slightly surprised. "Isn't that a little too dramatic?"  
  
Thierry sighed with impatience. "No, not really. We've lost so many agents due to Night World spies we're taking the issue more seriously. Take every precaution."  
  
Tate sighed. "All right." He headed back to Tacy.  
  
Tacy looked at him with hope. "Can I stay? You'll protect me?"  
  
He nodded. "Sure."  
He tried to take his mind off Tacy by thinking of Gabrielle. He wasn't entirely pleased about her rushing off to prove herself by killing her ex-boyfriend.   
  
She'd be okay. Should be, anyway.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Part 4

Part 4  
  
Maybe when Tate first heard the scream he should have not listened. He should have glanced over his shoulder curiously and passed by, without giving it a second thought. The way post people reacted when screams sounded.   
  
But of course, being born and raised a Daybreaker, it was almost part of his genetic makeup to respond to people in trouble, and play Mr. Hero.   
  
And tonight should be no exception. Tate turned back the way he'd gone, pausing, listening. The night was dark and silent, the stars glittered eerily in the black sky. No wind stirred the dry branches on the tress lining the street.   
  
The scream came again, shattering the peaceful night, full of terror and fear. "Help!"  
  
The sound was coming from a near by alleyway. Tate's ever-changing Redfern eyes rolled with disgust. Why did the bad guys always think a dark alley was the best place for their attacks?  
  
Why couldn't they come up with something more original? Shaking his head he pulled his stake out the sleeve of his leather jacket. Blending in with the darkness he slipped closer.   
  
The girl was pressed back against the wall, her pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight, rainbows reflecting off her raven hair.   
  
"Hey," he called to the vamp, "didn't you ever learn not to play with your food?"  
  
The vampire looked at him, unimpressed. "Oh joy, the Knight in Shining armour."  
  
Tate's eyes rolled a second time. Vampires really needed to learn new witty lines as well. How many times had he heard *that* one? With a sigh he lunged forward. The surprised vamp moved back, away from his victim.  
  
Exactly what Tate had expected. He jammed his stake into the outraged vamp's heart. The vamp swore at him savagely, and the light died out of his eyes.   
  
Within seconds he was nothing more than a bag of leathery old bones on the dirty, trash filled floor. Tate snorted. Other people he knew might have spat on the body, but with the girl present, he could hardly do that, could he?  
  
The girl was looking at him with wide blue eyes. "Is he dead now?" he asked nervously.   
  
Tate looked at her. Something about her...this girl was a vampire as well. Obviously not an evil one. "Yeah, he is."  
  
The girl smiled a little, red lips full and ripe. Something about her reminded him of Gabrielle. She slipped an arm through his and sighed dreamily. "My hero."  
  
Tate managed a weak smile. This was turning into a soap opera scene. "Want me to take you home?"  
  
The girl shook her head frantically. "No. Don't want to go home. They hurt me." She looked at him with those wonderful blue eyes of hers.   
  
Tate frowned. Maybe he could take her to the safe house he and Gabrielle had a room in. He didn't want to take her back to the Daybreak mansion. He wasn't entirely sure if he could trust her yet. "I'm Tate, what's your name."  
  
"Tacy," she answered, smiling. "My family are typically old fashioned Night Worlders." She made a face. "They don't like the fact I don't agree with them."  
  
Tate sympathised. "Well, I'll take you back to one of our safe houses for now. Nobody'll hurt you there."  
  
Tacy looked at him with admiration and longing. Tate tried to remind himself as he led her back to his car that he had found his soulmate. He already had Gabrielle. True, he wasn't exactly sure if she really loved him yet, but she was the one person perfect for him.  
  
Tacy was sweet, but kind of wimpy. She still clung to him as if there would be no tomorrow. When he got her to the safe house he went to call Thierry.  
  
"She can stay for the time being while we check her out," Thierry told him. "But if she seems the slightest bit suspicious, or appears to be trouble, kill her."  
  
Tate was slightly surprised. "Isn't that a little too dramatic?"  
  
Thierry sighed with impatience. "No, not really. We've lost so many agents due to Night World spies we're taking the issue more seriously. Take every precaution."  
  
Tate sighed. "All right." He headed back to Tacy.  
  
Tacy looked at him with hope. "Can I stay? You'll protect me?"  
  
He nodded. "Sure."  
He tried to take his mind off Tacy by thinking of Gabrielle. He wasn't entirely pleased about her rushing off to prove herself by killing her ex-boyfriend.   
  
She'd be okay. Should be, anyway.  
  
* * *  
  
  



	5. Part 5

Part 5  
  
The assignment should have been easy enough, but for some reason witch Bianca Heartsease was getting a very bad feeling about it. Spying on their own spy. It made her uncomfortable.   
  
"Do we really trust her?" Bianca's partner shifter Payton Arnold asked in a low voice as they followed Gabrielle at a distance.   
  
If it looked like Gabrielle was going to be trouble or fail in her assignment, then they were to kill her. Apparently some new rule Thierry had invoked, to cut down on the number of Night World spies sneaking into Daybreak safe houses.   
  
Personally, Bianca wasn't too keen on the idea. What if it turned out they were wrong and ended up killing an innocent person? But times in the war between Daybreak and Night World were becoming darker, and rules had to be tightened, punishments harder.   
  
Bianca realised how relieved she would be when the whole stupid millennium thing was over, then would know who won, once and for all. Anyway, she wasn't supposed to be thinking about that.   
  
"I don't know," she answered softly. "We'll just have to play along and see how it goes."  
  
Getting into the group of renegades didn't seem too appealing either, but it looked as if they had no choice.   
  
"This isn't going to be fun," Payton commented dryly as they headed inside the mansion.   
  
Bianca didn't say anything. The sooner they got this over and done with the better.   
  
* * *  
  
Dante stood in his office, the only light a dying fire, bathing the room in a soft, reddish glow, creating a dark atmosphere, which he liked. He watched out the window as the three Daybreakers walked up the driveway and into the mansion.   
  
He'd known they'd get there sooner or later. He wasn't sure if he was pleased or not to see Gabrielle was one of them. It was what he had expected, he knew if he set this whole thing up, then she would come for her chance at revenge.   
  
Seeing her with *them* created a stab of something inside him he wasn't sure how to explain it. It wasn't the stupid soulmate, Tacy should be dealing with him.   
  
The constant knocking on the door annoyed him. Even more irritating was the fact the person was coming in without waiting to be invited. "What is it, Eris?" he asked  
  
The reflection of another of his informers, vampire Eris Noir appeared in the window. Silky blonde hair framed her delicate features. She might seem to the casual observer rather dull. Most of them usually ended up rather dead. "They're here," Eris told him. "And she's one of them."  
  
Dante nodded, not looking at her. "I want to see her, send her up."  
  
Eris nodded and left. Dante sat in his chair, waiting for Gabrielle to come to him.   
  
* * *  



	6. Part 6

Part 7  
  
Gabrielle remained calm and collected as she followed the blonde vampire up to Dante's office. If she could pull off her act she'd be home free. Then all she needed to do was kill him.   
  
Kill him, get it over and done with, then she could go home and finally be happy with Tate. She kept reminding herself he was waiting for her.   
  
Through their soulmate connection she could feel his worry and concern for her, which warmed her, putting steel in her back. And there was also something else. Something going on Tate was trying to keep to himself.   
  
Dante's office was typically bad-boy vampire dark. Marble desk, large leather office chair, wooden panelling, a fire burning low in an elaborately carved fireplace.  
  
Gabrielle remembered the first time she had been in here, how fascinated she had been with it. She had loved the whole appealing idea of death and darkness, and Dante was just so *good* at providing it.   
  
But she was *over* him, she reminded herself harshly. She felt nothing for him. Nothing. Not even seeing him standing there, framed by the dark window in all his glory would make her feel any different.  
  
Dante gave her a stunning smile as he moved around to the front of the desk. "I knew you'd come home," he said. She could hear the smugness in his voice. "I knew you couldn't resist me. You just needed some sense knocked into you."  
  
Gabriella didn't say anything. She just glared at him, remembering how much she hated his arrogance. He thought he was god's gist to vampirism.   
  
"I didn't come home because I couldn't resist you," she said, settling for cool bluntness. She slipped her hand inside her leather jacket.   
  
Dante studied her, the smirk on his face faltering slightly. "Oh? Why did you come home, then?"  
  
Gabrielle smiled at him, pulling out her sharp wooden stake. "I came to kill you."  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Part 7

Part 8   
  
Tacy scowled. What the hell was the matter with Tate? This stupid Daybreaker was being more difficult than she'd thought. No matter how much she flirted, he wasn't falling for her I'm-so-innocent-love-me! act.   
  
It was probably that stupid soulmate thing. They were all so loyal to each other it was damn sickening. She stalked around the safe house, dark hair flying around her.   
  
Tate had gone out for a while, where she didn't know. Probably off fighting the forces of darkness and saving girls like her from them, she thought with contempt.   
  
She hadn't heard anything from Dante yet, so she had no idea how he was getting on with convincing Gabrielle she belonged in his arms.   
  
Personally, she thought it was a waste of time. He was probably going to end up killing her anyway. This whole thing seemed to her like a Night World soap opera.   
  
~Days of Our Lives eat your heart out~ she thought with a snort. ~This is more tacky than Sunset Beach.~   
  
  
She dropped down on an arm chair, crossing her long slender legs at the knees, waiting for Tate to come home. She'd give him one more chance.   
  
One more was all she had patience for. She'd kill him without waiting from any word from Dante. Why did he get to have all the fun?   
  
* * *   
Dante folded his arms, looking at Gabrielle standing there, claiming she was only here to kill him. His eyes rolled. He wasn't all that surprised, actually.   
  
He should have figured something like this out. He gave her one of his most dazzling smiles. "Somehow, I don't think so."   
  
Gabrielle glared at him, her beautiful dark eyes flashing. She was so pretty when she was mad. "Don't be so sure," she spat at him. Her anger was more amusing than anything else.   
  
Dante just shook his head and returned to his large swivelly leather office chair. He sat down, bathed in the faint red glow from the last embers of the fire. He laughed harshly. "If you don't want that wussy little soulmate of yours to die, you'll do no such thing."   
  
Gabrielle was staring at him, her face paling. Hadn't she already thought he'd try something like this? Obviously not. Dante was slightly disappointed. "What are you talking about?" she whispered.   
  
He shrugged casually. "One of my vampires is staying in the safe house you two usually live in." He stood up, walking over to the fire place. After standing there staring at it for a few minutes, it flared bright again with a tiny push of power.   
  
He turned around to face Gabrielle. "All I need to do is say the word and he dies."   
"You bastard!" she shrieked, and threw herself at him.   
  
Dante's eyes rolled. Daybreakers. So predictable. With a heavily sigh he caught her easily, snatching the stake from her hand. He held her tightly. "You belong to me," he hissed.   
  
She spat at him. "I'll never be yours again!"   
  
Dante shrugged. "We'll see."   
* * *


	8. Part 8

Author's note: I've made a complete mess of numbering these parts, so from the last part I left off, this is the next part. Numbering should be right from this part onwards.   
  
Part 8  
  
Bianca frowned, watching Gabrielle walking back into the quarters of Dante's mansion that had been given to them and Payton to share. Gabrielle looked as if she had just witnessed open-heart surgery.   
  
"What happened?" Payton asked.  
  
Gabrielle sat down on the couch. "This whole fucking thing was a set up, it's been a trap right from the beginning," she whispered.   
  
Bianca and Payton exchanged glances. Bianca frowned, thinking of how confident Gabrielle had been when she had been when she had accepted the assignment. She had sworn she could kill Dante without any problems.  
  
Bianca had had a bad feeling about this whole thing from the beginning. She remembered Thierry's new rule - if it looked like Gabrielle was going to betray them - kill her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Bianca asked, taking a seat cautiously. It didn't *look* like Gabrielle was going to suddenly turn against them.  
  
"He knew I would be coming back, he has one of his little flooseys in the safe house with Tate, and she'll kill him if we try anything."   
  
Payton sighed heavily. "Why didn't we figure something like that was going on?"  
  
So Tate was in trouble, and he didn't know it. This was just great. There wasn't any way they could get a message to him without Dante knowing. He could have Tate killed before either one of them could take a step outside the door.   
  
"I don't want him to die," Gabrielle whispered.   
  
Bianca and Payton exchanged glances. She couldn't imagine what that must be like - knowing there was nothing you could do to help your soulmate.   
  
"I have an idea," Payton said slowly. "It's not a brilliant plan, but it's pretty much all I can think of right now."  
  
Bianca and Gabrielle looked at him. "What?"  
  
* * * 


	9. Part 9

Part 9  
  
Something was wrong with Tacy. Tate didn't know what, but he was sure something was. Lately she had been more moody and snappy, not the quiet, shy girl he'd first rescued.  
  
He wondered if he'd done something to upset her, but as far as he knew he hadn't. He'd tried to be polite and understanding, putting up with her constant flirting, but not giving in.  
  
Was that what was bugging her? That he wasn't interested in her in anyway but for a friend? He had Gabrielle. Grated, Gabrielle wasn't the nicest person in the world, but she was his soulmate, they'd get used to each other.   
  
As he sat alone in his darkened room that night, Gabrielle was on his mind. He hadn't heard a word from her since she started the assignment.   
  
No one had given him any sort of message or anything, indicating that she was getting on with it, or...  
  
He refused to think the worst. There was no way that she would melt back into that bastard's arm. She wouldn't do that to him. He thought he knew her that well, at least.   
  
He hadn't realised he was pacing, or heard the door open, until he felt slender arms slid around his waist from behind, cool lips kissing his neck gently. A shiver ran up his spine.  
  
"Uh, Tacy? What are you doing?" he asked, trying to pull away. Tacy's arms only tightened.   
  
"You won't ever have to think about Gabrielle again," she said in a soft, sultry voice. What happened to her scared little-girl act?  
  
Tate's eyes closed. He'd fallen for it. Mentally he kicked himself for being such an asshole. If only he wasn't so optimistic he should have obeyed Thierry's rule and killed her the minute she started acting suspicious.  
  
Now it was too late.   
  
"Oh? And why's that?" he got out.  
  
Tacy laughed, throaty and deep. "Because I'm going to kill you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
* * * 


	10. Part 10

Part 10  
  
Gabrielle wasn't exactly sure about this plan of Bianca's. She really didn't want to force herself to go through with it, but there didn't seem to be any other way out of here.  
  
Plus, it was what she'd come here to do in the first place, after all. So she might as well take the opportunity that had presented itself.  
  
But Tate was all alone with that Night World bitch...he was a smart guy, he should have figured out what was going on before now. From what she knew of Tacy, Tacy wasn't much of an actress when things didn't go her way.  
  
~Gabrielle? A little help needed?~  
  
It was Tate's voice in her mind. Gabrielle's eyes rolled. Just great. Could she not get any breaks, ever? Well, it just gave her an incentive to get her ass in gear.  
  
Squaring her shoulders she marched out her room down to Dante's office, where he still sat brooding in the dying fire light. What was it with vampires in black and brooding? A written rule somewhere for when their love-lives messed up?  
  
He looked up at her. "So much for vowing never to give in." He stood up and walked over to her, just as she expected, not even noticing her suspicious manner.   
  
She gave him an alluring smile. "Come closer," she told him.  
  
Dante eyed her. "Okay."  
  
Gabrielle's eyes rolled in disgust as he came close enough for her to plunge the stake into his heart. He should have seen that coming from a mile away! Anyone with half a brain could see what was going to happen!  
  
Whatever. Plan stage one complete. Now for stage two.  
  
* * *  
Tate grit his teeth in Tacy's grip. Tacy didn't seem to be doing anything. She was just enjoying the smell of his fear. If she had any sense she would have killed him when she said she would.  
  
"You know, you're extremely calm for someone who's in the grips of death," Tacy commented her lips grazing his neck gently.   
  
Tate shrugged. "You didn't think I wasn't prepared for this, did you?" Truth be known, he hadn't been, but he was expecting his own knight in shining armour to arrive any minute...  
  
"You bastard!"   
  
Tate pulled away just as Gabrielle arrived, killing her second vampire within the hour. He stepped aside watching the body turn into the mummified corpse it should have been.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that night Gabrielle lay awake in bed, not really sleepy. Tate was snoring away beside her, so who the hell could sleep with that racket anyway. She got out of bed, dressing quietly, wandering around the room.  
  
He should *be* here by now. She had tried to be satisfied with her Circle Daybreak partner, her own soulmate. Even Thierry and Hannah thought she was trustworthy now she had supposedly killed the evil Night World lord.   
  
"Ready?" Dante's voice came out the shadows from the open balcony doors.   
  
"You took your time," she snorted.  
  
"This was your idea," he pointed out. "How do I know this isn't some trick you're still planning with them?" His eyes narrowed at her. So far the illusion had worked well enough to convince all those that needed convincing.   
  
She glanced over at Tate, snoring away. He probably knew what was going on, even though he appeared to be blissfully unaware. At least, she thought as she staked him, he wouldn't feel anything if he was asleep.  
  
She had been born and raised in darkness, and might as well continue that way. At least she'd tried something new, even if it hadn't worked it.  
  
She left with Dante. It might be an old and clichéd ending, but hell, it was fun.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
